Devastating Revelations
by emmarae3579
Summary: NWZ: What if the garden scene at the end of Broken Heart Broken Mask had ended differently? I'm goin for angst, here, people. Fair warning. I like it, I hope you do, too.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Zorro, nor do I make any money from writing this story. Dialogue and situations used from the episode are property of ZPI, the rest of the story is my property and cannot be printed or used without my permission.

Author's Note: Once again I'm using posting a chapter as an antidepressant. Or maybe an upper. Rough day at work, gonna be another long day tomorrow. I really hope I get some feedback on this one. I know it's not Moonlight, but…gotta write what the muse demands. I will get back to it.

Author's Warning: That being said, I have tried not to be mean before with cut-offs, though I know I've done it unintentionally. This chapter ends without the warm fuzzies I try to instill in my readers. I'm having fun with it, but the story is marked Angst for a reason. You have been warned. My beta said I could post chapter one alone. Blame her.

Author's Note 2: Marla is the most awesome-est beta in the world and I couldn't do it without her.

***evil laugh***

zzz

Victoria looked around the garden. She always enjoyed visiting here. Alejandro loved his flowers, and the garden was magnificent. She held out her arms and spun around, breathing deeply and enjoying being outside on her own. The gunshot wound in her side pulled a bit, but she still took another deep breath and covered the pain with her hand. She glanced down, but couldn't see anything. The dress was new, and she felt beautiful in it. She didn't regret the pain one bit, because this time she'd saved Zorro's life. After a week of being stuck in bed, Diego had let her stretch her legs a bit, and she finally felt normal again.

"Señor Zorro!" she said when he stepped out of the shadows.

Zorro glanced around to make sure his father hadn't come out with her before approaching. "You look lovelier than ever."

Victoria stepped forward, eager to see him. "Thank you, I am feeling much better." She smoothed her hands over the dress, hoping Zorro liked it. She felt a small twinge of guilt. Diego had liked it. He said it had been his mother's, but she knew a new dress when she saw one. She probably shouldn't have accepted it, but she wanted to feel pretty again. She liked seeing the light in Diego's eyes when he saw her wearing it.

She shook those thoughts away. She wanted to look pretty for Zorro, not Diego. She didn't want Zorro to see her sick with fever. She didn't want him to feel guilty.

"You almost died because of me." Zorro held up a hand when she took a step toward him in protest. "I won't put your life at risk anymore."

"What do you mean?" Victoria could barely force the words from her throat.

"I've been thinking," Zorro started. "You should have a husband. Someone like Diego, perhaps."

Victoria's eyes widened, afraid he had read her thoughts. But she shook them away. She wanted Zorro. "Like Diego? I thought...I thought we shared certain feelings." Victoria wrapped her arms around herself, her heart cracking a little.

Zorro cringed when he heard the sadness in her voice. So much for that idea. "We do. More than you'll ever know." More than she could know. However, if he could somehow get her to stop chasing Zorro and look at Diego, he'd have her here with him. Out of danger. And with him.

Before he could continue to plead his case for Diego, Victoria surprised him. Not that he minded, as his hands wrapped around Victoria's waist and his lips softened against hers. She gasped when he tugged at her lip, and Zorro forgot he was supposed to be saying goodbye. His arms held her tighter as he deepened the kiss, stepping into her and pressing her against the flowers on the wall. The scent of jasmine mixed with a scent he knew only as Victoria, and the world was forgotten.

Victoria heard Alejandro calling, and tried to understand his words. Zorro made her forget everything else, and her arms wrapped tighter around his neck as he kissed her again, her body filling with pleasure. Her fingers stroked over his cheek, and she knew he'd let her take the mask off now. Zorro wouldn't kiss her like this and not feel anything.

Suddenly he stepped back from her. Or, he didn't step back as much as Alejandro threw the man against another wall.

"What are you doing?"

Victoria's eyes widened as Alejandro stepped between them, facing down the mighty Zorro as if he were perfectly ready for battle. Her face turned bright red, but she didn't regret kissing him. He couldn't deny his feelings now, and would stop talking about Diego.

"This is a private garden. Victoria is under my protection. You come in here and take advantage of a woman who took a bullet for you?"

"Don Alejandro, it wasn't…"

"Hush, Victoria. Are you alright?" Alejandro turned to face her and Victoria put a hand to her burning cheeks as she saw him check the state of her clothes. "Did he hurt you?"

"Don Alejandro, I would never—"

Alejandro rounded on Zorro. "You would never? She wouldn't have been shot if it weren't for you."

Zorro dropped the hand he'd been reaching with and fell back against the wall. "I know."

"You know? Is that supposed to make it alright? Last time I checked, Victoria wasn't married. Unmarried women don't meet masked men alone in the dark." Alejandro scowled at Victoria, too.

"Don Alejandro, it wasn't like that," Victoria protested, but Alejandro took her arm and held her back when she moved to go to Zorro.

"I came to say goodbye," Zorro muttered.

"Goodbye? Why?" Victoria asked from behind Alejandro's shoulder.

"Because of what Don Alejandro said. I put you in danger."

"So why did I find you kissing her?" Alejandro growled.

Zorro barely shrugged and looked down at his boots, still leaning against the wall.

"I kissed him, Don Alejandro," Victoria admitted, and couldn't meet his eyes when Alejandro turned to her. "He wanted me to marry another. I didn't let him say goodbye. It's my fault."

Alejandro looked between them, confused. "You come to say goodbye to her, tell her to marry someone else, and then kiss her?" Alejandro ran a hand through his hair and wrapped an arm around Victoria, sorry when he saw the sadness in her face. "Who did you want her to marry? It sure didn't look like you were trying to send her away."

Zorro shrugged again, kicking at the dirt. "I wanted her to marry Diego."

"Diego?" Alejandro looked at Victoria, but she shrugged her shoulders and didn't have an explanation. "Why?" He paused, then turned to Victoria. "What's wrong with my son?"

Victoria took a step back and wondered if this night could become any more embarrassing. "Nothing. I like Don Diego very much." She glanced at the man in black. "But I wanted another."

"What if Diego liked you very much, too?" Zorro asked.

"How do you know that?" Alejandro asked with narrowed eyes.

Victoria turned to him in surprise. "Don Alejandro?" Victoria asked.

Alejandro shrugged and ran a hand over his scruffy cheek. "I think he's right."

Victoria shook Alejandro's suspicions off and slipped away from Alejandro so she could confront Zorro. "Why not you? You kissed me back. You said you had feelings for me!"

"Diego has more to offer you."

Alejandro recovered and put himself between them again, taking Victoria's hand and pulling her back toward the house. "That's because my son doesn't run around in a mask ruining a woman's reputation."

"He might."

Alejandro didn't hear and kept walking. "My son respects women. You should learn a thing or two from him."

Victoria was the only one still watching, and Alejandro finally stopped when she planted her feet.

"Diego?" Victoria gasped as she looked at the man in black, his head still bowed, but now he was smoothing out the mask he'd just removed. He glanced up and shrugged at her.

Alejandro had let go of her in shock, so she took a few steps closer to see in the dim light. "Is this some kind of trick? Zorro is done with me so you and he come up with this scheme to have some fun?"

Diego thumped his head on the wall behind him. Why would she believe? He took a breath and whistled, and they heard an answering whinny from far away. A minute later, Toronado came racing into the garden, but the familiar horse and tack didn't get the reaction he'd expected.

Diego frowned at the confused expressions on their faces. "What, you don't recognize my horse?"

"Your horse?" The horseman in Alejandro was distracted by the magnificent stallion, but Victoria crossed her arms and glared, still not convinced.

"Oh come on, it can't be that impossible to believe."

Victoria looked around the garden, her eyes scanning the rooftops and searching for hiding places. "Zorro," she called out to Diego's shock. "Come down here. This isn't funny."

Diego kicked off the wall and tossed the mask to the ground with a scowl. "No, I really don't think it is."

"Diego, what are you doing?" Alejandro asked, eying the familiar outfit with curiosity. "You don't have to go through all this. Lots of women have expressed their interest. Go to Zorro for sword fighting lessons, maybe, but…"

Victoria turned back to face him, furious at Zorro, but confused at Diego's behavior. He looked annoyed that he'd been caught, but figured men like him wouldn't be the type to be embarrassed. He never blinked when he did any of the silly things he did, never let people's opinions shake his confidence. And Alejandro was right. Diego de la Vega was the most eligible bachelor in California. She was hurt that her friend had tried to play with her emotions like this. For what? A laugh? She'd hoped she and Zorro could be married. Diego, though…

She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, the dress suddenly feeling different now that she suspected his motives. What was wrong with her own dresses? "Your father's right. You could have anyone. But I'm not some debutante. I'm not going to dress up in a fancy dress and throw silly parties and tell you how wonderful you are just because I want to be a caballero's wife. I don't. And wearing the clothes doesn't make you Zorro."

Victoria had to force her feet to stay planted, because Diego looked like she'd just slapped him. She instantly regretted her words, but she wanted Zorro. Diego had to understand that. And Zorro must be listening somewhere. "I'm sorry, Don Diego. I'm not the right wife for you." Victoria firmed her lips, but couldn't stand to look at the devastation she saw on Diego's face anymore. "And I'd take that bullet for him again. You hear me, Zorro?" she shouted. The man was out there somewhere, and Diego held his mask. Surely he'd come forward now?

Toronado had satisfied his curiosity with Alejandro and turned back to Diego, who numbly put a hand up to stroke the horse's nose. Toronado knew who he was. He could see realization slowly dawning on Alejandro's face when he saw the temperamental stallion seek him out, but Victoria had said all she had to say. All he needed to hear.

Toronado bumped his chest, eager to be off. Diego walked around to the saddlebag and pulled out a small box. He looked at it for a moment, then tossed it at a stunned Alejandro. He pushed at Toronado till he found his mask in the dirt, and moved to put it in the saddlebag when he had no desire to put the thing back on, even if it wasn't covered in dirt.

He saw his change of clothes in the saddlebag, the white silk of Diego's shirt shining in the moonlight. Tonight he'd thought hard about their future as he'd checked on Victoria's tavern for her. He glanced back at Victoria, told himself she'd be safer if she didn't believe him.

He looked at his father, and felt a little better. Alejandro could put away questions and confusion and disbelief for the moment. His father was putting the pieces together and knew Diego had been about to propose…and instead got trampled.

He pulled out the suit, not caring that the pants dragged in the dirt as he handed the clothes to his father. "Just give me an hour or two, okay? I'll be back." Now, he could change in his own rooms instead of the chilly cave.

"Diego…" Alejandro called, daring to take the reins as Diego mounted. Toronado reared slightly in protest and Alejandro let go, watching as Diego controlled the stallion easily. "I'm proud of you, son."

Diego gathered the reins and turned to leave, catching sight of Victoria, who had finally stopped looking for another Zorro. Toronado danced, sensing Diego's indecision. He watched the tension melt from her arms as they fell to her side, her eyes wide as they cleared. No one rode Toronado but Zorro. She took a tiny step forward, but this time Toronado kicked high. Diego's eyes never left hers, never showed a lack of control as Toronado's legs reached higher than her head while Diego stayed firmly planted in the saddle.

She glanced at Alejandro, saw the clothes balled up under is arm. Victoria forced air into her lungs, somehow formed words. "What's in the box?"

Alejandro opened it, not surprised to find his wife's ring. Diego interrupted him before he could answer. "Don't worry about it. I came to say goodbye. You just said it better than me." Since he'd heard all he needed to hear, he didn't stop when she called after him.

Zzz

Author's Note 3: Going crazy with the author's notes. I have the next chapter written. Marla is making me write more though, so just be patient, it will pay off. Diego and Victoria's motivations are discussed next chapter, so I hope you can bear with me instead of thinking they'd never say that. People can say some pretty harsh things, and I wouldn't have reason to write fan fiction if the characters were perfect.

And of course you're gonna get the warm fuzzies eventually cuz Diego and Victoria always wind up happy in my stories. Just tryin to see if I can make you sad for our beloved couple.

If I sucked you in, please review :)


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Happy Holidays, my lovelies! Thanks for the reviews!

zzz

Diego didn't stay out long. He'd originally thought he and Victoria could take a ride. The moon was full. He had a blanket in the saddlebag, too, because he wasn't sure if riding would be too hard for her. After what he was sure would be a surprising talk, what he hoped would be a romantic proposal, he planned some quiet time. He knew she was tired of being inside. Then, after she'd crushed his heart so completely, he just wanted to get away.

People thought he was foolish. He didn't care about politics, didn't get involved in the government, and liked the quiet life. He believed study could make a difference. There was a time for action, and Zorro could step in. Most of the time, his study also helped many farmers. He'd even helped save Victoria's life because he knew medicine. He liked the peace which came from anonymity. People left him alone, and he had time to help people and work on his experiments. If people knew he was Zorro, they wouldn't let him alone.

Victoria had been a pleasant distraction. He'd been captivated, maybe even blinded. She was so beautiful, and so passionate about people's rights. She liked his music, listened to him talk about his experiments. He thought they were friends, even fancied himself in love. Her eyes lit up in a different way when she looked at Zorro. Why would it be different if she found out Zorro was her friend?

It was different because she wasn't his friend. He hadn't hosted a single party since he'd been back. He showed no interest in the so-called debutantes, or their fathers. Victoria should know this since he spent so much time at the tavern. Why had she spent so much time with him if she thought of him this way? Was he really just a customer to her?

People thought he was foolish, and maybe he had been. He left Spain determined not to settle down. He wasn't going to be a fool about this, not anymore. He'd been working with a friend he'd met in Paris to try to record images on paper when his father had called him home. Victoria had put thoughts into his head, distracting him, though apparently he wasn't as distracting to her. He spent so much time at the tavern, he'd neglected his experiments. Zorro's mission also took up his time. The cave was full of all kinds of fun chemicals to play with. He didn't need a wife yet.

There was no reason to hide from her, so he turned Toronado back toward home. He wanted to talk to his father. Victoria could do what she wanted. It wasn't like he was going to throw a party and make her entertain. He'd bought the dress because he wanted to give her something. He thought it would make her smile, and it did. The color brought out her eyes, and she'd blushed prettily when he'd told her it was his mother's. It was soft, and he thought the new style would be comfortable as she continued healing. He wasn't trying to dress her up. What did he care what she wore? If the color made her eyes brighter and the style accentuated her figure, well…he was a man.

He spent a few minutes tidying his lab after he bedded Toronado down for the night. His father might want to see the cave, and he'd be spending more time here. Working with chemicals, even in experiments, he at least had an idea of what to expect. Women were much more volatile. He stepped into the library, only slightly surprised it was empty. He found fresh clothes set out for him, but after he changed he still couldn't find his father or Felipe.

His father must have seen him as he walked by a window and called him outside.

"Father," he greeted as he walked back into the moonlight, "If you wanted to see…"

Diego looked down in confusion when Victoria ran into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. A fiery hand shot back into his chest and squeezed his heart again, and Diego closed his eyes tightly to try to return to that numb place of indifference he'd found before.

"Victoria, I think you should be in bed. You're not fully healed yet."

Alejandro pushed his hands through his hair and gestured at the frustrating woman. "I told her. She's hurt herself again."

Diego sighed. He didn't spend the last week at her bedside only to have her die of infection. He stroked a hand down her hair and pushed her away, telling himself he didn't care that she'd been crying…that she was still crying. He pulled her hand away from her side when she covered up, scolding her when he saw blood seeping through the material.

"I'm sorry about the dress. I love it, really I do. I know it wasn't your mother's."

Diego's hand fell to her flushed cheek, scowling at the heat he could feel. "Come inside."

"No, Diego…you have to listen…I was scared."

Since she refused to walk, Diego bent and scooped her up in his arms. "Be quiet. I said you could go out into the garden for a few minutes. What have you been doing?"

Victoria rested her hand on his neck, but he wouldn't look at her. "I tried to stop you. I wanted to say I was sorry. I wanted you to come back."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. We're different, like you so eloquently explained. We don't see things the same way." Diego gently set her on her bed and turned to inventory all the medical trappings he'd brought into the room to make sure she didn't die. Because of him. "Like how I told you to take it easy. First day you get up, you rip out your stitches. If you're going to go around jumping in front of bullets, you have to listen. You never listen."

"Diego…"

Diego turned to his father and heeded his warning. Numb, not angry. Not hurt. He had to remember that. "I need some more supplies if she's ripped her stitches." He held out scissors to Alejandro as he turned to leave the room. "Cut it off."

"No!" Victoria protested. "Don't cut the dress. I love my dress. Please."

Diego scowled at her and turned to do it himself. "You hate fancy dresses. You said so."

Diego bent over her, but Victoria pushed at his hands whenever the scissors got close to the material. Alejandro watched the bloodstain grow and stepped in and took the scissors before Victoria lost a finger. "Go get what you need."

Diego grew defensive at his father's tone. "You heard her. She doesn't want the dress. You're the one who talked about her reputation. Cut the dress away from her stomach. She can keep her modesty while I try to save her life." He glared down at Victoria. "Again."

Alejandro had seen the devastation on Diego's face earlier in the garden. He'd been surprised at Victoria's callous behavior, but he thought there was more to it. Victoria was sobbing openly now, and Diego was pretending he didn't care.

Alejandro shoved his son out of the room and turned to the woman on the bed. Was he supposed to bring them together again? Was that even possible? Alejandro suspected her words had been born of pride, not anger. Marrying Diego would be a big change for Victoria, though. What if she meant it?

"Hush, now, Victoria," Alejandro soothed as he approached the bed. He felt her fever, saw how distressed she was as she held onto her new dress.

Alejandro had started to wonder after the second day when Diego refused to leave Victoria's bedside. He had no objections if Diego wanted to court Victoria. He'd been surprised when she'd appeared in the dress, because it really was rather inappropriate. Alejandro had resolved to talk to Diego about his behavior toward a woman who claimed to love another man, but he'd disappeared.

Diego wasn't thinking clearly, because Alejandro didn't see a reason to cut the dress. She wasn't so injured that she couldn't get changed without bleeding to death. He suspected Diego had wanted to destroy it rather than out of some sense of propriety. Alejandro wiped Victoria's face with a cool cloth as he assured her he wouldn't damage the dress. After she'd calmed down, he gave her a blanket and helped her out of the dress. The events of the evening had started taking their hold, and she was quiet and compliant as he helped her settle in a clean shift beneath the blankets.

When Diego entered the room a few moments later, silent tears started streaking down her cheeks again as her eyes followed him. Diego handed him a cup and told him to give her the tea, and Alejandro rolled his eyes. Children. When he stood to hand back the empty cup and have a word with his son, he stopped. Diego's hands trembled and flexed as he aimlessly moved things around, obviously trying to control himself. Maybe Victoria wasn't the only one speaking and acting through wounded pride.

Diego winced when he turned and met his father's eyes. After so much secrecy, Diego felt ripped open and exposed, as if he were bleeding, too. Diego ducked his head from Alejandro's sympathy and pulled the chair close to the bed again.

"Diego, I'm sorry."

Diego ignored her and pulled her hands away from the bloody bandage on her abdomen.

Victoria covered her hands with his. "Please, you have to let me explain."

"Father, can you pour her some more tea please?"

Victoria gasped when he pulled the bandage away, the blood not flowing free enough to keep it from sticking. "I don't want more tea. I don't want to sleep. We need to talk."

She cried out again when he poured alcohol over the wound without warning her. Last week he'd blown air on her skin to soothe the burn, and the intimate act had started a confusing fire in the rest of her body. She had gasped and he had blushed, and he never did it again.

Alejandro walked around the bed to take her hand, wondering why he didn't see the gentleness he'd taken for granted a week ago when he'd watched Diego care for Victoria's wound.

"Diego, you're not supposed to want to marry someone like me," Victoria began, speaking through clenched teeth and sharp intakes of breath as Diego worked with scissors and thread as if he were working on a burlap sack.

This week she'd fallen hopelessly more in love with the man she couldn't have as she'd seen his care and worry over her. She flinched again and wished that man would come back. She shouldn't have taken the dress, she knew that. Zorro was supposed to be the man she could have. Someone who wasn't threatened by her independence, who would love her for who she was as they made a little life together. Someone charming and smart, but not Alejandro de la Vega's only son.

Diego had a life…had important responsibilities. His wife would host dignitaries and scholars. His wife should be elegant and beautiful and intelligent—a well-bred caballero's daughter. His wife could not embarrass him by speaking out to the alcalde. She'd been to jail. Her parents were dead, and they left her with nothing. She could read and write and run the business she'd slaved to make profitable, but she'd never gone to school. She'd worked hard all her life, and had rough, calloused hands to prove it. Her small wardrobe consisted of mainly serviceable clothing, which she'd mended many times to save money.

She'd accepted Diego's dress as a gift and allowed herself to pretend tonight when he said she was well enough to sit in the library after dinner. Then, Alejandro had read aloud a letter he'd received from his cousin. The viceroy.

"Of course I love you." Victoria smiled, sensing a glimmer of hope when his fingers stilled against her skin. "You're perfect. And you're not supposed to risk your life as Zorro."

"Be quiet," Diego said, his voice indifferent as his fingers went back to work. "I hardly ever risk my life. The alcalde and his men are incompetent. I didn't plan on a woman getting in the way."

"Diego," Alejandro scolded again.

She squeezed Alejandro's hand, sorry she was making Diego do all his hard work over again, especially when he was so angry.

Diego glanced up as he finished re-doing his stitches and stood. Victoria tried to sit up and reach for him, but Diego held her shoulder down. "Are you going to stay in bed and be quiet now or do I have to drug you?"

Victoria slowly moved her hand from where she'd covered his on her shoulder, cringing at his harsh tone. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find Bishop."

Zzz

Author's Note: Okay? Before you get excited, he's not about to leave the house. It's Diego's dramatic exit from THE ROOM, not the house. After Conquering Fear I want to make sure I don't put ideas in your heads. I don't have a lot of time to write, and I hate disappointing you. I seem to have lost whatever brilliant idea I had to deal with Bishop, so it probably won't go that far.

If you enjoyed, please review.


	3. Chapter 3

"Don Alejandro, you have to stop him!"

Alejandro was already chasing his son. He caught up to Diego in the hall and grabbed his shoulder. "Diego, stop."

"What?" Diego shrugged him off and Alejandro took a step back at the anger in his voice.

"Stop and think for a minute. You're upset. Don't pretend you're not."

Diego shrugged at the tension in his shoulders and fell into a nearby chair, running his hands over his face. Alejandro put a hand on his shoulder and knelt down in front of his grown son. "I can't deny your abilities if you're really Zorro." Alejandro shook his head in awe and put a hand on his son's cheek when he saw tears in Diego's eyes. "You're not thinking straight right now. You've waited this long. Leave it till the morning."

Diego pressed his fingers into his eyes and leaned back in the chair. "Oh how the legendary Zorro has fallen."

"Diego, this is only a bump in the road. You caught us all off guard." Alejandro sighed deeply and glanced back towards Victoria's room. "Why did you buy her a dress?"

Diego shrugged his shoulders. "To replace the one I ruined."

"You didn't shoot her, son."

"It's still my fault."

They turned when Victoria yelled for them, bringing Alejandro's thoughts back to the problem at hand. "Did you notice she got quiet after I read the letter from Gennaro?"

Diego rubbed his hands over his face and looked confused at the change of topic. "She lit up when you saw her in the dress." Alejandro watched Diego rub his hands down his legs and avoid looking up. "I was going to talk to you. You've been getting rather…personal with her. I was worried because I thought Victoria loved Zorro. I guess I shouldn't have worried."

"You should have sent me away. Told me to stop. Yelled, done something! Woken me up from this fantasy I've been living. She doesn't love me."

"Are you so sure?" Alejandro pointed at the desk across the room to the letter he'd read earlier. "I asked before. Did you notice how quiet she became after I read Gennaro's letter?"

Diego sighed, annoyed with the conversation. "What of it?"

"I think she was intimidated."

Diego shook his head with a harsh chuckle. "Victoria isn't intimidated by anything."

"Diego, you shocked her. You have to realize how it looked to us. You hid your identity quite well."

"She made herself perfectly clear. She doesn't love me. Doesn't want anything to do with being a caballero's wife."

"I think she does love you. She said so just now. And you know I wouldn't object. But our friends might. Victoria knows that."

"So…what? You're saying she doesn't want to be my wife because of my friends? Your friends, since I don't really socialize with a lot of the landowners around here."

Alejandro's hand clenched, and he put his hand up to knock some sense into his son. "No, you're too busy hanging out at the tavern and playing hero to play at being a landowner."

Diego squirmed under his father's censure. "I'm sorry, father. I know you probably don't approve. Zorro seemed like a good idea when I returned to find things in such a mess. I didn't realize it would go on so long. I didn't expect Victoria to be so…" Diego's eyes grew distant before he shook himself. "You're my father. I'm open to suggestions. What do you think I should do?"

Alejandro sat back on his heels at the defeat in Diego's tone. He watched Diego stare at his folded hands, then he stood and paced a few steps away and back. "I can't say I approve of my son risking his life and his freedom with a simple black costume."

Diego narrowed his eyes at his father. "It worked so far."

Alejandro crossed his arms and stared his son down. Diego sat back in the chair, stretched his legs out, crossed his ankles and frowned at his boots. When he crossed his arms defensively, Alejandro thought he looked ten years old again. He certainly was acting like it.

"Then again, maybe we let Zorro take on too much responsibility. The other caballeros need to be watching out for everyone, not only their own profits, if we're to survive in this new world. If you spent more time with them, you'd be a fine leader. Show them what to do without risking your life." Alejandro took a deep breath and spoke firmly. "Zorro needs to retire."

Alejandro waited for the outburst, but Diego didn't protest. He was sorry to see his son deflate a little as he flicked at some invisible lint on his pants. "I know you enjoy it. But it's too dangerous. And you're breaking the law."

He waited, but once again Diego was silent. "Maybe you'll find other ways to occupy your time. You need to be more active on the ranch. With a wife and possibly children on the way, you couldn't have expected to keep riding as Zorro."

"I'm not getting married. I'll stay on the ranch. I'll make nice with your friends. I'll stop riding as Zorro if you really want me to. But I'm not going to marry any of those little girls you keep parading past me."

"Diego, I was talking about Victoria."

Diego glanced to his side and listened when Victoria called out his name again. He chuckled darkly, shaking his head at his father. "She didn't want to be my wife when I didn't act like a rich caballero's son. Now you want both of us to play the part?"

They turned when Victoria called out for them again, and Diego stood when he saw her come to the door of her room. "She made her choice. Victoria doesn't strike me as someone who cares what other people think."

Diego moved to go to her, but Alejandro grabbed his arm. "She might if she cares about you."

Alejandro held his eyes for a long moment before Diego headed back toward Victoria. Alejandro took a seat in the chair, resolving to give them some time. This was a mess.

zzz

Author's Note: So that's about a thousand words. I know everyone is busy, so I didn't want to overload you by posting too much during the holidays. Hope everyone has a relaxing Sunday! And review. Don't forget to review if you enjoyed ;-)


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: So Katie reminded me today is Christmas for some people. So Happy Holidays! This is the one and only time I will say that, because I know not all of my readers celebrate Christmas. Otherwise all the politically correct people here can …oh that's not the holiday spirit. Americans are certainly a strange collective.

Hope you enjoy!

Zzz

"Diego, you can't go after Bishop." She gripped his shirt as he lead her back to the bed.

"Bishop isn't going to get away with shooting you. Our relationship or lack of one has nothing to do with it."

Diego told himself he didn't notice how revealing her shift was. If she looked good in the dress, she definitely looked better out of it.

"Please don't leave. I didn't mean what I said tonight. I was scared."

Diego pulled the covers up her legs and pointed at her stomach. "Are you hurting again?"

Victoria stared up at the man who was her best friend and her hero, now acting as a cold and impersonal doctor. "If I said yes would you stay?"

Diego sighed and pulled the chair close again. "What are you afraid of? You're not afraid of anything. If you were, you wouldn't have been shot."

Victoria grabbed his hands, didn't let him pull away. "And you would have been."

Diego stared at their fingers where they were laced together on top of the covers and didn't know what he was supposed to say.

"I couldn't have you. I'm not good enough for you. I'm too outspoken. I've been to jail. You need someone who…" Victoria cut off in a big yawn.

"Victoria, I've been to jail, too. I think I know by now you're outspoken. If I had a problem with it, I wouldn't have wanted you."

Victoria shook her head and tried to wipe the sleepiness away. "Why did you give me so much tea? And you didn't want me. You never showed any interest."

Diego released one hand and pulled the duvet down so he could see her stomach. His hand covered the bandage he could see through her shift and she sucked in her breath—but not from any pain. "I thought it was too dangerous. I thought when things got better, when Zorro could hang up his sword, maybe…"

She was distracting him again. Beneath his hand her skin felt soft, and so warm. His hand moved to the side of the bandage, to feel if the heat away from her wound indicated any infection. Her breath grew choppy, as his eyes found other things he could see through her shift.

"What was in the box, Diego?" Her hand covered his, but didn't stop him as his hand smoothed over her flat stomach. She smiled as she watched his distraction, hoping she'd finally gotten through his anger. "Diego?"

Diego shook himself and removed his hand, leaving her feeling cold even though he pulled the covers up to her chin. He smiled slightly at her wide eyes, then stroked his fingers down her scarlet cheek. "My mother's ring."

Victoria held his gaze for a long time, waiting for further explanation. His fingers trailed over the back of her hand and he didn't look like he was going to say anything else. "You always carry your mother's ring around with you?"

Diego gave her another small smile and shook his head, but then frowned and pulled his hands away. Victoria grabbed his hand and pulled him back down. "Diego, you have to understand. Loving Zorro couldn't hurt me. He didn't have a face, didn't have a name. He didn't care what society thought…he didn't care that I ran a tavern…and he was invincible."

Diego shook his head and reached a finger up to wipe a tear from her cheek, but she went on before he could interrupt. "I'm terrified. I can't lose you. You're my best friend. I do love you. And now you're Zorro? You get shot at all the time. You may be good with a sword, but those are real bullets. If you're caught, you're going to be killed."

"Querida, I'm not going to be caught."

Victoria held her breath and let it out slowly at the familiar term, her tears subsiding as he calmed her that easily. "Querida?"

Diego watched her for a long moment, then took the cool cloth beside the bed and wiped her tears. "And the other thing? You said you didn't want to be a caballero's wife. You'd be living outside the pueblo. You couldn't manage the tavern."

Victoria tried to steady her breathing. "I don't know anything about being a caballero's wife. I wouldn't know the first thing about managing such a household." Victoria glanced around the guest room, easily three times as big as her room at the tavern.

"Melena manages the house. I guess she does a fine job of it since she's run it since I was a boy. It's not difficult. You want to change something, you tell her. All you'd have to do is…what did you say? Tell me how wonderful I am." Diego shook his head. "Is that really what you think I want in a wife?"

"But…you deserve someone better…I don't know-"

He didn't like his Victoria acting so unsure around him, so he decided to change tactics. Diego leaned forward and covered her mouth with his. His tongue licked over her surprised lips and took her breath away. Victoria's hands came up to cradle his head, her fingers threading into his hair and massaging his scalp, drawing a groan from deep within his chest. His hand went back to her waist, wanting to hold her close… wanting to feel that she was here with him.

"You really think I care who your parents are?" Diego whispered against her lips. "You're a strong, passionate, independent woman. And I love you." He kissed her again, fiercely, his tongue plunging in and robbing Victoria of all her will. He went to his knees beside the bed, his arms pulling her closer so he could feel the heat of her body.

"Are you going to marry me?" Diego whispered, one of his hands stroking innocently over her cheek, his other hand being much less innocent. Victoria tried to catch her breath, tried to keep up as Diego melted all her defenses.

Victoria ran her fingers over his face, trying to assure herself he was telling the truth. She didn't see anything which said he cared about who her parents were or how good of a hostess she would be. "You're a little overwhelming."

"You tie me in knots. We're even. You kissed me tonight. You can't expect me to let you go after that." Diego took her hand from his cheek and kissed her palm. "I don't expect you to be anyone else. I want you. Only you."

Victoria decided she liked kissing him, wanted to do more with him, so she stopped his words with a kiss.

Neither of them heard when Alejandro came to the door. At first happy they'd made up, he quickly remembered what started this whole mess to begin with. Victoria was still unmarried. While he could see Zorro's hands earlier in the garden, at the moment his son's hands were not where they should be. He knocked a stack of Diego's precious books off the desk and grinned evily when Diego leapt to his feet, both of his charges turning scarlet.

"Well, that escalated quickly."

Zzz

Author's Note 2: So in the beginning I was going to extend this, but I lost whatever idea I had. I'm marking it complete, but I can always change that if anyone has any ideas. If you have any ideas, let me know.

I'm trying to finish my other three long stories. Eventually I'm supposed to do things like clean and study. We'll see. (And yes, I like memes and I stole the last line from a Will Ferrell meme that I enjoy, which is actually I guess from a movie called Anchorman which I haven't seen.)

So this is my Christmas gift to you. A review would be a lovely Christmas gift for me. hint hint. And remember, I can't respond to anonymous reviews, though you crack me up and stir my curiosity. Thanks everyone who has reviewed so far, you've made my weekend. I wish you all a safe week.


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